RandomNumberGenerator Class (System.Security.Cryptography)

RandomNumberGenerator Class

.NET Framework Class Library

RandomNumberGenerator Class

Represents the abstract class from which all implementations of cryptographic random number generators derive.

Namespace: System.Security.Cryptography
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public MustInherit Class RandomNumberGenerator

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As RandomNumberGenerator

[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public abstract class RandomNumberGenerator

Visual C++

[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public ref class RandomNumberGenerator abstract

JScript

public abstract class RandomNumberGenerator

Remarks

Cryptographic random number generators create cryptographically strong random values.

Application code does not directly use this class. This abstract class is provided as the base class for all cryptographic random number generators.

For an implementation of a cryptographic random number generator, use the derived class RNGCryptoServiceProvider.

Inheritance Hierarchy

System..::.Object
System.Security.Cryptography..::.RandomNumberGenerator
System.Security.Cryptography..::.RNGCryptoServiceProvider

Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0

Reference

RandomNumberGenerator Members

System.Security.Cryptography Namespace

Other Resources

Cryptographic Services